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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26141236">The Family</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waywocket/pseuds/Waywocket'>Waywocket</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The True Stories of The Friendly Shadow [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Autodale (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Death, Fighting, Guilt, gun - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:46:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,261</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26141236</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waywocket/pseuds/Waywocket</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Our Friendly Shadow tries to enjoy a quiet night alone. Instead a call from Hive leaves him with a weight he has to carry on forever.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The True Stories of The Friendly Shadow [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1898269</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Family</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My first (in I hope many) piece of Autodale stories! This was so much fun to write.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Opening a bottle of scotch, Friendly Shadow grabbed a fresh glass. It was late, normally nothing happened this late. It was a good time to relax, or as close as he could manage anyway. Pouring a generous amount into his tumbler, Shadow sat down in a plush chair, trying to pretend he was living a normal life. Maybe even a pretty one.</p>
<p>Just as he brought the glass to his lips, Hive’s voice was in his head. Biting back a ground he put the glass down and listened.</p>
<p>“Shadow, you’ve work to do. It seems there’s been another breach.”</p>
<p>“Another Freak?” He asked as he stood from his chair.</p>
<p>“So it would seem,” was all Hive said, for now.</p>
<p>With a heavy sigh, he looked down at his glass. He thought about downing it and going. What could one glass hurt? The glass was halfway to his lips before he thought better of it. It was best not to risk it.</p>
<p>Sitting the glass down next to the bottle he slipped on his shoes and started for the door. Grabbing his hat off the coat rack he stared at the heavy duster. It had hung there for so long it had started to collect a thick layer of dust along the collar. Looking at it, he could hear the children yelling and running. He could hear the compliance. </p>
<p>Scowling deeply, he put on his hat and his gun and locked the door behind him. The coat still hung on the rack, waiting to bear down on him.</p>
<p>At the house, he schooled his face as he walked up to the line of Handymen blocking the way. They turned to face him in unison.</p>
<p>“Ah! There he is,” said one of them cheerily. It pissed him off, but he ignored them.</p>
<p>“It’s awfully quiet,” he remarked as he looked the house over. Nothing was happening, it was almost as if the house was empty.</p>
<p>“Yes, we’re not sure what’s going on. There was screaming, a crash, and everything’s been silent since. We fear the worst.” Hive explained, sounding almost concerned.</p>
<p>A hum and Shadow grabbed his Tesla gun. He pushed by the Handymen without another word as he walked to the door. With only one crash, there was hope that the family was alive. He hoped.</p>
<p>At the door, his heart raced in his chest. His face didn’t show his nerves and his shoulders were squared for a fight. But Hive knew, Hive knew everything about him, and he hated it.</p>
<p>Steeling his nerves he opened the door widely. Silence. He had been expecting more. Mayhem, blood, crying, something, anything. Instead, it felt eerily still inside, it felt like death.</p>
<p>Still, there was work to do. Deeper into the house he crept, gun held out in front of him. He was afraid to speak or make too much noise, if the Freak was still inside he didn’t want to surprise or anger them. If anyone was still alive, he would keep it that way. It was his job.</p>
<p>Passed the living room and into the kitchen, he went. A china cabinet had been knocked over. The dishes were strewn about the floor in pieces and the glass doors were shattered as well. A shame, he thought briefly as he kept going.</p>
<p>Down the hall, he found them, standing just inside the door to the master bedroom. He could see it looking at the family huddled in the corner, trembling with fear. Watching them, the Freak tilted its head slightly, this way and that.</p>
<p>He had the advantage then. Aiming the gun at the back of the Freak's head he charged his shot. The sound of the static filled the hall and into the room. Too slow.</p>
<p>With a sound of rage, the Freak turned quickly and swiped at Shadow.</p>
<p>Jumping back, Shadow hit the hall wall. Pictures fell, glass littered the carpet. His gun fired uselessly, hitting a wall and leaving a hole.</p>
<p>Now that he has the beast’s attention, he retreated back into the kitchen. They follow, arm raised for another strike.</p>
<p>“Get out!” He yelled to the family, trying to keep the Freak focused on him so they can escape. If he could just keep the creature’s focus, they could get out.</p>
<p>Leveling his gun at them, he quickly fired at the Freak, and guided them across the room and deeper into the house.</p>
<p>Bleeding, but far from dead, they took a swing and knocked him back hard enough he fell over. Cursing, he barely rolled out of the way in time as they brought a heavy fist down where his head had been.</p>
<p>Another shot and he was on his feet again. Stumbling into another bedroom, he shot again, this time a window shattered. He wasn’t doing enough damage to stay ahead.</p>
<p>Ducking under the Freak’s swing, he rounded back around the house, firing in desperation.</p>
<p>The Freak finally started to wear down, but he was exhausted too. He had to use his momentum.</p>
<p>Jumping back to get as much distance as he could in the wide living room, he charged his gun again. He took a final aim at the creature and fired as they lunged at him with what strength they had left.</p>
<p>The shot grazed off the Freak’s side and kept going.</p>
<p>As he fell under the creature’s weight, he saw the family staring in horror as the charge headed for them, inches from the door, inches from safety.</p>
<p>The Freak was heavy against his chest. He could barely breathe as they dug their claws into his sides, baring their teeth above him. Gasping for air, he fumbled with his gun and pressed it against their ribs and pulled the trigger.</p>
<p>Once, twice, thrice, before the Freak finally went still. Shadow could feel the current charging through his systems. It hurt more than the claws. For a few brief moments, the world went black.</p>
<p>When he came back to, the creature on him was dead, still bearing down with a suffocating weight. It took all his remaining strength to push them off. Gasping for breath, he tried to remember the last few moments before he had overloaded himself.</p>
<p>The memory of the family’s faces flashed across his memory. With a sharp gasp, he quickly jumped to his feet. Unsteady, he wobbled and had to hold himself up with a wall. As fast as he could manage, he went to where he had seen them, hoping beyond hope they had survived, gotten to safety.</p>
<p>Where they stood was only a pile of char. He could still make out their shapes, imagine their terrified expressions. Thought he can hear them scream.</p>
<p>He wanted to puke, he wanted to scream, to cry, to get angry. Instead, he put a hand to his head.</p>
<p>“Hive, they’re dead,” he all but whispered, afraid to look but more afraid to look away from their remains.</p>
<p>“Good work, Shadow!” She praised in a cheery voice.</p>
<p>The sick feeling got worse, he held his arm over his stomach. “No, Hive. They’re all dead.”</p>
<p>“Ah, worried about the Jeffersons? It’s quite alright, perfectly acceptable margin of error. They likely would have been too traumatized to rejoin society anyway, Shadow. You’ve done a fine job,” she reassured him. Her voice was, almost, comforting.</p>
<p>Looking at the burnt bodies he felt anything but proud. He was supposed to keep the citizens of Autodale safe. Not char them like cheap barbeque.</p>
<p>“Yeah, another one gone.”</p>
<p>Without a word, he stepped out of the house and into the street.</p>
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